Railroad-cab



2 Sheets Sheet 1.

A. SN YDER.

Car Truck,

Patented July 18. 1854 AM. PHDT -L ITHO. CU. N.Y (USBORNE'S J'ROCESS.)

' 2 Sheet-Sheet 2. A. SNYDER.

I Car Truck.

No. 11,337 Patented July 18. 1854 AM. PHOTO-LITHO. C N.Y. GSBORNE'SFRUCESS.)

ABRAM SNYDER, OF HAVVLEY, BNNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-CAR TRUCK.

specification ofLetters Patent No. 11,337, dated July 18, 1854.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ABRAM SNYDER, of

Hawley, in the county of Wayne and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Cars, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and eXact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which .form part of this specification,and in which Figure 1 represents a top view of the car showing theposition which theseveral parts respectively occupy when the car isrunning on a curve; Fig. 2 a bottom view of the car in which the partsoccupy the rela live positions which they assume in running on astraight line; Fig. 3 a longitudinal section of the car at the line w wof Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a transverse section at the line X X of Fig. 2; Fig. 5a top View of one of the notched coupling disks; Fig. 6 a. perspectiveview of thesame, by the pressure of the load upon which a tendency isgiven to the three pairs of wheels to run upon the same straight line;and Fig. 8, a side elevation of these disks partially turned as when thecars are running on a curve.

The truck represented in the accompanying drawings has three pairs ofwheels A, B, and C, respectively mo unted in a frame D, E, and F. Theseframes are connected to each other and to a frame Gr, upon which the carbody is supported in such manner that the three pairs of wheels can moveeither laterally or up and down to accommodate themselves to horizontalor Vertical curves of the track, and as changes of this kind vary thedistance between the several pairs of wheels, a system of levers andconnecting rods is not adapted to operating brakes on such wheels, asthey do not compensate for variations in the distance between them, Ihave therefore adapted a system of cords (a and pulleys (Z2) to actuatethe brakes H) of these wheels by which I am enabled to surmount all thedif ficulties incident to the use of levers and links.

The frames (D and F) of the front and rear pairs of wheels are eachfitted with a pair of strong perch bars and 2') which terminate incoupling plates (m) which are connected by a ball and socket joint,which in addition to allowing flexure in every direction, will alsoadmit of the bars and i) approaching and receding from each other to'permit the several pairs of wheels freely toconform to the curved andstraight portions of the track.

The coupling plates of both the front andrear trucks rest upon the crossbars of the frame (E) of the middle wheels (B) with which frame they areconnected by several pins (92-) each passing loosely through a pair offluted coupling disks (0, 0") which match into .and are the counterpartsof each other. The upper disk "(0) of each pair is formed on or securedto the under side of the plate (m) which formsthe junction of the porchbars (21), and the lower disk (0) of each pair is formed on or se curedto theoross bar ofthe frame (E) of (the middle wheels. It is plain thatthe disks (0, 0) can not turn on each other to permit the wheels toconform to a curve, without tending to separate or expand as shown inFig. 7 This tendency of the disks to separate is resisted by a spring ofindia-rubber or other spring (7), placed between the cow pling plate (m)and the nut on the end of the swivel bolt, and the instant the wheelspass any object which either raises or defleets them from a straightline, this spring as well as the weight of the parts resting upon theupper disk will tend to cause the faces of the protuberances of theupper disk to slide down the faces of the indentations in the lower diskto bring the wheels again into line, in this way the oscillating motionfrom side to side of the track which a too free turning of the disksupon each other would cause is avoided.

A beam (N) is secured across the perch bars (2' and z") of the front andrear frames (A and C) at a point between the axis of the end and middlewheels upon these cross beams (N) the frame (G) is supported and issecurely connected with these beams by means of swivel pins (.9) whichpass through coupling plates (t) that permit the wheel frames to turnfreely beneath this top frame and as the coupling plates (t) protrudefrom the cross bars to which they are attached the upper and underframes may respectively rock to permit any one of the wheels to riseover an obstruction without disturbing the others. By placing the crossbeams (N) farther toward the axis of the.

middle wheels (B) a larger proportion of the load will insist upon themiddle wheels and by moving the beams in the opposite direction a largerproportion of the load will be thrown upon the end wheels.

The brake beams (H) are suspended by cords or links from the frames ofthe wheels and the middle of each beam is fitted with a sheave (41) suchas are commonly used for blocks and tackle. The brake beam at the end ofthe car opposite that at which the brake is worked is fitted with twosheaves. A cord (01,) of suitable strength is taken and a sufficientlength at the end (af) at which the brakes are to be operated is leftprotruding from the brake bar; the opposite end is then passed round thesheave o thence round '0 thence round 0*,thence round 1: and m whence itis carried round 4)", thence round v and back by the opposite side ofthe pulley to that at which it passed at the commencement, when itterminates at a and is spliced to the cord a, and the end a is carriedto a Windlass or other contrivance for windlng it up and letting it outagain.

It is plain that by winding up the cord' (a the brake beams (H) of eachpair will be caused to approach each other and cause their shoes v(it)to clasp the wheels with a of a long one, and it is also obvious thatall the parts of my improvements may be employed in connection orseparately as may be deemed expedient.

What I claim'as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isMaking the bearing surfaces of the disks on which the load swivels andis supported of an undulating form substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ABRAM SNYDER.

Witnesses:

P. H. WVATsON, P. HANNAY,

